Supporting and locking structure for collapsible wall shelves



April 7, 1953 F. wQ KRUEGER 4 2,634,180

SUPPORTING AND LOCKING STRUCTURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE WALL. SHELVES Filed Aug. 6, 1949 2' SHEETS-SHEET 1 l 46 INVENTOR.

" Fen/w M Klee/6512 ATTORNEYS April 7, 1953 F. w. KRUEGER- SUPPORTING AND LOCKING STRUCTURE FOR- COLLAPSIBLE WALL SHELVES Filed Aug. 6, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. fi'emvk MKQUEGE/Z I ATTOR/VE Y6 Patented Apr. 7, 1953 riaiikw fornia FOB; GOLVLAPSITBLE WALE sHELvEs iee nSa a a Cal f-i a sieh9 ;.li

hee!!! Ma ctu in 06;, Richmond, cane, a corporation of Cali ispncaetmtgeste, 1949; sexier-n6. 103 .922: raises. (o1."3'11 1) ,This' invention relates to shelf "stru c;t 1 -1 es more particularlv to novel support ;loclging and release means for collapsible shelf structures for s th a.

Aim-011g the ie sp e inv nti 2 3t following: To provide anovel and efiiciently r le rat meqh e in. l ves; o. provide e er ile ew W3 9i??? having simple support meeha nis n comprising e e m o e a le i theebsen l Q Spring elements; or the like-,to; releasahly supportfand 1001; a elt ma h r z n ra s d e it n: i provide suchshelf support meehanism with trigger means integral with the lever means operable to releasesaid lever ne'ans' from their pos'i tion' of support ofthe. shelfto allow emed ingor collapsing of theshlf. to a verticaljor inoperative position} andto provide an o erating mechanism for a collapsibl shelf s arrangeu asto be accessibljat the up er. sido'f the sup;

ported shelf for m nuaiyop'e afion to return the shelf to a vertical or collapsed positio'nl In summary, the shelf supportmechanism of the invention comprises first class lever" means movable withthe" shelf sliding e'ng ger'nent with the support nifiibftdiwh dfitheishelfifi pivotally connected, said lever bii'i'lg prdvidedat one end with locking'in'eansengagealole with said support member and With trigger means integrar er adapted. lipdli tlieapp sure thereto t6" release. said; 16- locking engagement .w'i'tli thesupportmeinber. Said lever means is further characterizedby such conformation and such di's'position of its pivotal connections with the .s'heltas to cause an unbalancing of the lever means" ins'u'ch a direction as to. gravitationally urgejthe lever means into locking relation with thefsupportinember for the shelf upon the raising of the-shelf toa horizontalpositionforuse. H Further objects and advantages of theli'n en:- q i lbe a arent. 9m.ihefd wiiisid r ak inn" c ibh...ihes re i s for ing' a part of this" specification, and "in which;

e tiQ fift s l s e e efi d i W EII f Q aF- sible :s'helf embodying the shelfsiipport r'n'e'ch anismpr tneinvntion; U Figure. 2 is a v infrdfit eleva'tiindfjthe strueture" Qf F ho'wing the shelf in were: oa'l or collapsed S1151! H rO w it; F g re 1 Figure ifs-an enlarged, detail view in section taken'alongiline 4-4-of Figure'l; V

, Figure 5,.is an: enlarged view in section taken alongline 5-5 of Figure 1; V v I Figure. 6 is a view taken along line ii-fi' of Figure5;.and e Figure" '7 is an enlarged detail view of the rearward .end'of a. locking lever of the shelf mechanism}. showing in solid outline the lever in locked position and-in dotted outline, the lever in a position it might assume, prior to being positively forced to the locking position. H

Referring to the drawings, it indicates generally a structural.supportmember shown in the form of a backguard or. splash-plate member for a stove,.said member is in such environment being provided: with a forward wall l2 and sideand top walls M and i8 integral therewith. It will beunderstood thatthe splash-plate memher It is supported or secured in conventional fashion adjacent. .the rearward edge of the burner or grill surfaceof .the stove, not shown.

A pair of spaced vertical .support members I8 having. fixedly secured thereto, as by rivets 23, apair of anglepbrackets. 22 are carried. at the inside surface of the wall. I2 ofthe splash-plate, as by. bolts 24f.in. threadedielation with nuts 26.. Molding strip members. 28 are.,secured to the outer. face of wall ,.l 2.,by the. bolts and nuts 24 and 2.6:. ."I-heL members. 18. areprovided at their upper ends with-inwardly oifsethosses 39. Links: .321 ,-.extendi-ng through coincident apertures in theianglebraclgets 22,-;wall i2 and moldingstrips Z8 areseeured to. the bosses 3%, as by boltsq34;v extending through the bosses and into threaded relation with nuts :36. The outer ends of links 32 serve :tfo ,pivotallysupport ashelf indicated; generally at 38 provided with a skirt portion' m, l. .1

The mean nrqv ded ferrivut y @nn e the shelf 3 B-to the Links 3'2;comprisedeversheaths r h u in mem e A o eiat eac s d ii s e 3%.. mri ed h a pa qf nwe id i e b s e 4 servi g as. hecm? c n e i 1 tween.t e le erflhqr ir ember a th shelf 38, :said eonnection ing achieved by rivets 6-, Q ter. e ds. 9 i s? a e i Within. heinne regs. I 'ie r sin ggs by rivets 4S affording-a'pivotal connection there- .asj'fimesingf m ers-so are granted" with ar cuately offset rearward portions 54 adapted to travel in apertures 56 and 58 provided, respectively, in the molding members 28 and the front wall l2 of the splash-plate It. At their forward ends the levers 50 are provided with trigger members 66 extending freely through slots 62 provided in the housing members 42, while at their rearward ends the levers 5B are provided with relatively wide notches 64.

The levers 50 are so arranged with respect to the geometry of their parts and the point of placement of the pivotal connections 52 that when the shelf 38 is in the collapsed or folded position of Figure 2, the unbalance of the levers 56 causes a tendency to clockwise rotation of the levers, using Figure 5 for reference purposes in this connection, to thus maintain the arcuatev under-surfaces of portions 54 of the levers in engagement with the lower edges of the lever 1 apertures 56. Thus, as the shelf 38 is manually raised toward the horizontal or extended position of Figure 5, the undersides of the portions 54 of the levers are maintained in travelling engagement with the lower edges of said lever apertures and, as the shelf reaches the horizontal position, the notches 6L3 provide for engagement of the levers with the lever apertures, the levers dropping slightly, or rotating clockwise, to provide for locking engagement of the notches 64 with said aperture edges, thus causing a slight upward movement of the integral trigger portions 60 of the lever to extend these portions through slots 62 to such a degree that manual depression of the trigger portions 69 will release the notches 64 from locking relation with the lever aperture edges. The shelf 38 is thus locked in horizontal position by the levers 56 which serve as the reaction or thrust members for the shelf and objects which may be placed thereon. The detents 66 serving to define in part the notches 64 serve as catch members to prevent disengagement of the levers 50 from the lever apertures 56, thus serving to also prevent a raising of the shelf 38 beyond the slight degree above the horizontal level afforded by the particular width of the notches 64.

The levers 50 are each provided with a cam spur or lobe portion 59 at the rearward end of the arcuate lever portion 56. These cam spurs 59 in conjunction with bevelled upper edges 6| of the apertures 56 constitute means for positively forcing the levers downwardly so that the slots 64 thereof are brought into locking relation with the lower edges of the apertures 56, whereupon the detents 66 prevent full withdrawal of the levers from the apertures. The transverse dimension of the rearward ends of the levers, i, e.,

from the tip of the cam spurs 59 to the tip of the detents 66, is greater than the vertical dimension of the locking apertures. Thus, if the levers wer to become accidentally frozen in their normal guided position with respect to the apertures, as indicated in dotted outline in Figure 7, the cam spurs 59, in coming into engagement with the bevelled edges 6! of the apertures, will positively cam the levers downwardly to cause the lower edges of apertures 56 to reside within the elongated notches 64. If the shelf is raised slightly above the horizontal position, the detents 66 serve as stop members, and, when the shelf gravitates to the horizontal position, the forward ends of the notches 64 come into abutting, or looking, relation with the molding strips 28, as shown in solid outline in Figure 7. Thus, the forced cam- .ming of the levers under the action of cam spurs 59 positively positions the levers for two-way locking action with the molding strips 28.

To disable the locking means and restore the shelf 38 to its folded or'collapsed position, the operator merely simultaneously depresses the trigger portions 60 of the levers 5D to impart the required degree of counter-clockwise rotation of the levers to free the notches 64 from looking engagement with the lever apertures, followed by a manual lowering of the shelf to its vertical p tion. During the lowering operation of the shelf the arcuate portions 54 of the levers travel inwardly of the splash-plate member In about the centers of rotation constituted by the pivot members 48.

Means are also embodied in the shelf mechanism to render the molding strips 26 adjustably positionable with respect to the pivotal axis of the shelf; to thereby ensure that the shelf in its raised locked position will be truly horizontal. The preferred embodiment of this means for ad justment involves the clamping together of the brackets 22 and the molding strips 28 in adjustable relation on the wall S2 of the splash-plate member I6 in such fashion that the strips 28 are vertically adjustable With respect to the brackets 22, and, therefore, to the links 32, said adjustment means comprising elongated slots 68 in the brackets 22, elongated slots 58 and 10 in the wall [2, and elongated slots E2 in the strips 28. The lower bolts 24 extend through slots 68 and 10, while the upper bolts 26 extend through slots 58 and 68. The links 32 extend through the slots 12 of strips 28. If it is desired that the positional relation between the lower or locking edge of apertures 56 and the pivots 46 be adjusted so that the upper surface of the shelf in its locked position will be within a true horizontal plane, this may be done by loosening the bolts 24, varying the vertical position of the bolts in bracket slots 68 to the necessary degree, and re-tightening the bolts.

It will be noted that the splash-plate I0 is shown as being provided with a light or lamp member 68 adapted for the conventional 1 poses, said light being covered and partially enclosed by the shelf 38 when the latter is in its vertical position.

From the foregoing description of the preferred structural embodiment of the shelf mechanism, it will be clear that I have provided a readily and efficiently operable collapsible shelf structure well adapted for the attainment of the objects of the invention hereinabove set forth. Since it will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains that certain changes and modifications may be made in the structure without departing from the spirit of the invention, it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secur Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a support member, a shelf pivotally supported therefrom and movable from a dependent vertical position to a horizontal position for use, an escutcheon plate member carried by said support member, an unbalanced first class lever having a pivotal connection with said shelf and havin at its overbalanced end an arcuate portion offset in a direction away from said shelf, said arcuate portion of said lever being adapted to travel within a slot formed in said escutcheon member. said slot being locatedat a lower level than the pivotal axis of said shelf, a notch in the under;

7 side of said arcuate portion operable upon the movement of said shelf to its horizontal position to engage with the lower edge of said slot to secure said shelf in said position, said lever bein releasable from lookin engagement with said slot to enable downward movement of said shelf upon the application of a downward force to th underbalanced end of said lever sufii-cient to reversely overbalance said lever, and means forming an adjustable connection between said escutcheon member and said, support member enabling a variable positioning of said slot with respect to the pivotal axis of said shelf to thereby selectively vary within limits the locking position plane of said shelf.

2. A device of the class described comprising a fixed support member, a shelf, a pair of outrigger I lever housings fixedly attached to th sides of said shelf and parallel therewith, pivotal connections between the rearward ends of said housings and said fixed support member whereby said shelf is rendered pivotally movable from a dependent vertical position adjacent said support member to a horizontal position normal to said member,

a first class lever residing'in each housing and having a pivotal connection therewith, said levers being overbalanced at their rearward ends and having arcuate portions at said ends offset downwardly and rearwardly with respect to said shelf, when said shelf is in its horizontal position, and slidable within slots formed in said support member in pressing engagement, due to the overbalancing of said levers, with the lower edges of said slots, a slot in the top side of each of the forward ends of said outrigger housings, an upstanding lug on each of said levers at the forward or underbalanced ends thereof extending through said housing slots, and a notch in the underside of the arcuate portion of each lever adapted to en age the lower edges of the support member slots to lock the shelf in a horizontal position, said shelf being releasable for downward movement by pressure applied downwardly to said lugs to reversely overbalance said levers to disengage said notches from said slot edges.

3. A device of the class described comprising a fixed support member, a shelf pivotally connected thereto and movable from a dependent vertical position to a horizontal position for use, an unbalanced first class lever having a pivotal connection with said shelf and having at its overbalanced end an arcuate portion offset in a di-' rection away from said shelf, said arcuate portion of said lever extending through a slot formed in said support member, said slot being located at a lower level than the pivotal connection between said shelf and support member, a notch in the underside of said arcuate portion operable upon the movement of said shelf to its horizontal position to engage with the lower edge of said slot to secure said shelf in said position, an enlarged camming portion at the upper side of the rearward end of the arcuate portion of said lever engageable during movement of the shelf to its horizontal position with the upper edge of said slot to positively engage said notch with the lower edge of said slot to prevent accidental full withdrawal of said lever from said slot, said 'notch being relatively elongated and so positioned with respect to the camming portion of the lever that upon engagement of the camming portion with the upper edge of the slot to bring the notch onto said slot edge said shelf may be moved to a position slightly above the horizontal, the rearward side of said notch being operative as a stop member in engagement with the support member to prevent further raising of the shelf, the forward side of said notch then being operative upon the return of said shelf to horizontal position to engage said support member and prevent further lowering of the shelf, said lever being releasable from looking engagement with said slot to enable downward movement of the shelf upon the application of a downward force to the underbalanced end of said lever sufiicient to reversely overbalance said lever.

4. A device of the class described comprising a fixed support member, a shelf pivotally connected thereto and movable from a dependent vertical position to a horizontal position for use, an unbalanced lever having: a pivotal connection with said shelf located between the ends of the lever; an underbalanced forward end having a portion thereof extending above the level of the upper surface of said shelf; and an overbalanced rearward end in sliding engagement with said support member; said lever having at its overbalanced rearward end an arcuate portion oifset in a direction away from said shelf, said arcuate portion of said lever being adapted to travel within a slot formed in said support member, said slot being located at a lower level than the pivotal connection between said shelf and support member, a notch in the underside of said arcuate portion operable upon the movement of said shelf to its horizontal position to engage with the lower edge of said slot to secure said shelf in said position, said lever being releasable from looking engagement with said slot to enable downward movement of said shelf upon the application of a downward force to the underbalanced end of said lever constituted by the portion thereof extending above the upper surface of said shelf suiTlcient to reversely overbalance said lever, said lever being provided with an enlarged cam lobe at the upper side of the rearward end of the arcuate portion thereof, said cam lobe being engageable with the upper edge of said slot during movement of the shelf to its horizontal position to positively engage said notch with the upper edge of said slot to prevent accidental full withdrawal of said lever from said slot.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 29, 1931 

